The Gate
by Leelee5
Summary: AU. Mary Sues or the Maidens have overrun Middle earth, yet one Sue does the unthinkable: she wants to go home. With an army of Sues blocking her path, she will need the help of canon characters to get back home. Unfinished
1. Chapter 1

Serena Whitewind stomped down the stairs in the main palace at Rivendell. As her name suggested, her hair was white and unfurled behind her as she made her way to her chamber. It was long and beautiful and it was becoming a damnable nuisance. Just like the rest of Rivendell.

It had been wonderful here, once. That was before the Change, and before Maeve LaMorte had come into power.

Serena arrived at her private chamber and slammed the door shut behind her. She sat down at her bed and finally let the angry tears that had been threatening her all through her meeting with Maeve loose. Maeve had been stringing her along for weeks; promising her she would be able to go home and today the hammer had finally fallen.

"Serena", Maeve purred in that horribly sexy voice, "You know it's impossible. The gate between the realms has been shut, and at great difficulty. You knew this and were offered the chance to leave months ago. If you wanted to leave, you should have done it then."

"I…I didn't realize…" Serena began.

Maeve interrupted. "You knew what you would be giving up. I agreed to think about your request, nothing more. I have considered and the risk of opening the gate,and it is too great. It could upset the whole of what we have built here. I will not ruin everything that we all, including you, have worked so hard to achieve."

"But it can be opened? It's possible?"

Maeve turned abruptly, her emerald eyes flashing with anger. "My answer is final, Serena Whitewind. You will live with your choice and support me as Queen of the Rivendell Sector. You may go."

Serena (_no she thought defiantly, Anna, my name is Anna_) was ushered out by two of Maeve's guards-both impossibly beautiful, of course, and impossibly strong. Serena was skilled herself in fighting, but her specialty was in archery and not hand to hand combat.

Maeve had revealed something important to Serena, however. It was possible to open the gate: the portal that had taken them all the land of Middle-earth. It was possible to go home again.

Home. The thought filled Serena with such pain she actually had to hold her stomach. She wanted her mother and father back again, and yes, even her annoying little sister. The tears fell freely now, and faster. Memories of happy times with her family flooded her being and temporarily took her away from her little room in the palace. But even though the tears fell and Serena felt helpless, something inside her hardened and came into focus: she would get out of Middle-earth if it killed her.

* * *

Maeve LaMorte paced her lavish office suite in anger. The office had originally belonged to Elrond Halfelven, until Maeve had deposed him. As some measure of respect she had left it untouched, even though the rest of his kingdom had been reshaped and rebuilt by her and her followers. After all, with hundreds of Maidens in the area, a larger building was needed to house them all, and to guard what was inside.

Maeve was still put out by her meeting with Serena that morning. How dare the girl come to her and want to go home? Was it not perfect here, was not her every need attended to? Something would have to be done if the girl did not fall back into line, as she couldn't have all the Maidens crying about missing their mommies and daddies and trying to breach the gate that separated the two worlds.

She finally sunk into an ornate chair and sighed. Ruling was such hard work and she had not anticipated the sheer amount of administration that would be needed when she took the office. Her eyes fell onto a glass case holding Elrond's ring of power: Vilya. Worthless now of course, but still beautiful.

The last five years had not added age or wrinkle to Maeve (or any other of the Maidens) but they had been exhausting. At first, there had only been a few of them, the Maidens from the modern world. Then they began to come in droves, all beautiful, all talented. The inhabitants of Middle-earth could hardly fight off their onslaught. Oh, Elves and Dwarves were powerful, and some of the Maidens had lost their lives, but in the end they were powerless. Who could stand against an army that was genetically perfect and had flawless fighting skills?

Then the in-fighting started and the Maidens were divided. After all, there was only one Aragorn, one Legolas, one Frodo, etc, and not all the Maidens could have one person. Outright murder became common and more Maidens were arriving every day. Resistance cells of native citizens were forming and fighting back against the Maiden's rule. Finally, the faction leaders, Maeve included, met to determine a solution to their common problem before war tore the beautiful land (and beautiful men) of Middle-earth apart. The gate that connected Middle-earth to the Modern World had to be closed.

It wasn't easy to do, and it meant that they were cut off from their families, but who cared as long as they had their utopia? Here they were Queens, leaders, and princesses, while there they were…

_"Mary Sues"_ thought Maeve with a sneer. _"A common name for a race of women who are perfection itself. No, the name would not do, so we rechristened ourselves as Maidens and set the world of Middle-earth to right."_

Again a crease formed between her eyes as she looked at the long list of improvements and personnel reports that sat on her desk. While she believed the Maidens were the rightful heirs to Middle-earth, some Maidens had proved more…superior to others. It all depended on their character, really, and how well they could assimilate into the alternate realm. Some girls had to be cared for in the infirmary ("_loony bin_" she thought unkindly) because they could not handle the trauma of their pasts effectively. After all, who could sanely survive being gang raped by orcs or watch an entire village of people burn without incurring some sort of psychological defect? Or to choose to be so telepathic that every stimuli, every thought, intruded until the girl went mad?

_"That's why I am Queen. I would not have made such a careless and stupid mistake," _Maeve thought snidely to herself.

Maeve eyed the long list and again thought of Serena and a great weariness flooded her bones. She rubbed her temples and tried to massage the stress away. She needed a break, something to take her mind off of all the problems of the realm…

_"Aragorn. I will see Aragorn tonight"_. Being Queen had its privileges.


	2. Chapter 2

Serena wearily made her way to the large dining hall, dressed finely for the ball that happened inevitably every other night. At first, it had been exciting to dress up and be escorted by a handsome Elvish man to dine and dance. Then it became merely amusing. Then it became a chore. The experience also became tarnished when she realized that her escort was only kind to her because the Mirkwood faction held his family under their power, and would probably execute him if he dared disobey the Maidens. She felt sorry for him, so after awhile she dismissed him and walked herself to the great hall.

She knew that Maeve would be looking for her and would be angry if she did not appear to be having a wonderful time like the rest of the women. She was wrung out from her long hours of crying, but she knew that if she was to escape she would have to pretend as long as possible that she was happy to be living in Middle-earth.

Serena dully looked around at the riot of color and the exotic faces around her. Beautiful women all, in dazzlingly different ways. A woman with pale skin and dark blue hair glided by with an Elvish man on her arm- Serena noted the empty glaze in his eye and sympathized: she felt the same way.

How could they all be so happy? Didn't they know it wasn't real? Of course, Serena herself was overjoyed when she first came to Middle-earth. She had been in love with the books since she was a child. First her father read her _The Hobbit_ and when she was a little older and had more of an attention span, he read her _The Lord of the Rings_. She loved all the characters, but became especially enamored of Aragorn. When life got hard, and her parents were divorced, she would escape (figuratively) into the books again. When she was reading, she didn't have to think about her mother scrambling to pay the bills or her father getting remarried; there was only Aragorn, Frodo, and Gandalf.

She like many other Maidens had no idea how the gate opened. Maybe it was the constant wishing to be _somewhere else_, or perhaps it was just luck or fate or global warming. Whatever it was, she had stepped through the glowing doorway and ended up in Rivendell. The Maidens had just taken over Rivendell when she had gotten here, and her skills were immediately assessed and she was drafted into service. As an archer, she never had seen close up anyone that she had killed, but she knew she must have hit someone with her arrows. After all, her skill was unparalleled even by the best Elvish archer. She wished often she had dreamed herself to be a healer instead, but it was not to be.

When had she begun to be unsatisfied with life here in Rivendell? After the war with the native inhabitants came the war with other Maidens until each faction agreed to temporary peace to close the gate. Now there were uneasy allegiances between all the factions, and there were several: they existed in the Shire, Mirkwood, Lothlorien, Gondor, and even Mordor. She lived comfortably in Rivendell and even helped with the renovations that stood today. Every day was joyful and sweet and she was allowed one hour every month to be alone with Aragorn.

Since there were so many Maidens with an interest in the important figures of Middle-earth, there had to be a way to allot this precious resource to the whole Maiden population. Much of the fighting was over who would "own" Frodo or Aragorn, or Legolas and the leaders had to come up with a way to stop the bloodshed. It was finally determined that all Maidens would have a chance to spend time with their beloved, but would have to share by taking turns spending an hour or so with their chosen man (or woman). It wasn't a perfect system by any means, but it did stop the outright murder and assaults that were happening on a more and more frequent basis.

Serena smiled ruefully and thought back to the first time she met with Aragorn. She was so anxious and her palms were sweating. Serena expected that he would immediately fall in love with her at first sight. Was she not beautiful, skilled in archery, have a lovely singing voice, and was graceful? She was sorely disappointed by his reaction.

She was his fifth Maiden visit of the day. Aragorn welcomed her into his well-decorated living quarters (he had no choice with the impassive guards standing behind Serena) and bade her to sit. He explained that he was honored by her visit but that he was engaged to another and that she should not hope for romance from him. The speech sounded rehearsed and his voice was hoarse. Serena was mortified and hurt by the rejection, yet she stayed. They spoke a little more about trivial matters and Serena left feeling confused and annoyed. Why didn't he love her? Which Maiden had already won his heart?

It turned out that no Maiden was able to sway the handsome Aragorn to her side. Serena had always ignored Arwen the Evenstar when she imagined herself in Aragorn's arms, but it turned out that Aragorn did not feel the same way. Even after Arwen was sealed away in the high tower of Gondor, Aragorn would still not cast her aside for a new love. It was dreadfully romantic, but annoying. Still, Serena visited once a month and passed the time with Aragorn in idle chatter. The whole experience was sad, and she began to feel a little ashamed that this great man was kept like so much chattel. The walls of the façade of the "perfect world" of the Maidens began to crack that day.

Serena felt eyes on her and she looked up to see Maeve standing on the balcony looking down on her. Serena immediately plastered a simpering smile on her face and pretended to be enjoying her meal. Outwardly she continued her act but inwardly she was furiously thinking of a way to open the gate and get back home. Unfortunately, she had no idea of how to do so. Maeve and the other faction leaders had been the only ones involved in shutting the gate and had a better understanding of what the gate actually was. Serena wasn't even sure of where the gate existed let alone how to open it. She couldn't very well ask Maeve and she couldn't trust any of the other Maidens. That only left research or asking a native inhabitant of Middle-earth. Someone with a lot of knowledge of the arcane…

The answer came suddenly and she gripped the table in excitement. Elrond! He was kept here in the castle. It would be difficult to arrange a meeting privately with him, especially since he was so well guarded but she would find a way. She only hoped he would be able to help her.


	3. Chapter 3

Maeve stood on a high balcony and surveyed all the activity happening in the Great Hall. She was looking for one soul in particular. Finally, she spotted Serena moping away at the far table picking at her food. Maeve's temper flared again. Damn the girl! Her hands tightened on the railing and she wished that it were Serena's neck in her hands so that she might shake some sense into the girl. Suddenly, their eyes met, and Serena's gaze became more animated and she began to tear into her food with more gusto. Maeve knew it to be an act, yet was placated that the girl was at least trying…and obeying her wishes.

Enough. The Maidens could care for themselves for the rest of the night, and as long as Serena was under control, Maeve could then attend to other matters. She signaled to one of her guards- as they were twins she could never tell one from another- and left the Great Hall.

She arrived at Aragorn's doorway a moment later. Maeve politely knocked; even though Aragorn was technically a prisoner didn't mean all social graces should be ignored. A second later the man himself opened his door and bade her come inside.

"Lady" he stated dully.

"Aragorn" she replied impetuously. Maeve sank into the nearest couch and arranged herself so that her cleavage was shown off to great effect.

"To what do I owe the….pleasure of your company so late in the evening? Shouldn't you be in the Hall making merry? I was just about to retire."

"Aragorn, you should join us in the Great Hall. All the Maidens would be delighted if you would only make a small appearance," Maeve purred.

"We have had this conversation before, my Lady Maeve. I have no desire to celebrate under the current circumstance," said Aragorn.

Maeve felt her temper rising once again. Why couldn't the man just cooperate for once? Why did all the inhabitants of Middle-earth feel the need to fight the rule of the Maidens? Not one of them would play the part desired of them. Oh, they all remained polite and would obey, to a point. They had to if they wanted to see their loved ones survive. Yet politeness was all any Maiden could ever get, along with quiet refusals.

Aragorn abruptly stood. "Lady, as I said, I was about to retire for the night. If you have business with me, please return tomorrow."

Maeve stood as well and sauntered to his side. "Business" she hissed, "You know what I wish from you."

She reached up and caressed the side of his face with the back of her hand. Before she could make any further move, Aragorn grabbed her hand roughly and tightened his grip. Maeve only laughed.

"You know I could best you easily. I am more powerful than you, my Lord Aragorn. Haven't we already proved that to you?" She stared him down until he finally released her hand.

"You have taken the whole of Middle-earth by force, yet you shall never get what you truly desire from me. It's time you left," Aragorn stated coldly.

Maeve only laughed again, but inside she was seething. "Until next we meet, my love." She flounced out of Aragorn's living quarters and slammed the door behind her.

"Let him rot," she thought. It was time for bed.

* * *

The next morning Serena awoke with renewed purpose. She would try to see Elrond today!

She had never met the Elf before, but she knew that he made the other Maiden's uncomfortable. Even without his magic ring, he had an uncanny way of peering into a person's psyche and revealing what lay inside. Many Maidens who had originally begged to spend time with him decided that he wasn't exactly what they had hoped for and had turned their attentions elsewhere.

Serena dutifully filled out her "Change of Visitation" form to "Elrond" instead of "Aragorn" and passed it on to the Maiden in charge of filling time slots. The girl raised her eyebrow at the choice, but kept her comments to herself.

"There's time now, if you'd like to meet with him" the bored Maiden said as she applied another coat of nail polish.

Serena hadn't expected that she would be able to see him so soon and was a bit taken aback. Well, it needed to be done, and she might as well go before she lost her nerve. She climbed the stairway up to Elrond's quarters and timidly knocked.

The girl down the stairs called up: "He won't answer the door. Best just to walk in. Haughty, that one." And with that she rolled her eyes and went back to her nail art.

Serena's heart was pounding and she felt a feeling of shame as she opened the door. What right did they have to keep people locked up the way they did? What kind of paradise was this, with half the population held in bondage by those who considered themselves superior? And Serena had helped it all be possible.

She peeked slowly into the room and murmured a soft "hello", hoping to rouse Elrond from wherever he was. No sign of the Elf anywhere.

"Excuse me, I don't want to be rude…Please, I need your help?" Serena softly called.

No answer.

Her heart pounded. What if he wouldn't help her? She and her kind had already done so much to him and his family. His daughter was kept locked away in Gondor, as Arwen was determined too threatening to have near Aragorn. Well, nothing for it but to forge ahead and search the rest of the apartment.

She finally came upon him in his study, sitting near the fireplace. He did not turn to look at her when she entered.

Serena gathered her courage: "Excuse me, sir. I know I'm intruding…"

Slowly the dark head turned towards her and Serena gasped as his gaze caught her. His eyes were filled with such sadness and yet held so much wisdom- this man appeared to be young yet his eyes seemed ancient.

"What do you want, child?" the Elf finally spoke. His voice was soft and patient, and Serena felt a deepening of her shame that such a man would be held captive by a pack of silly children.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, I really am," Serena babbled. "But I need your help, and I didn't know where else to turn. I can't trust the others, because they all seem to be happy, but I…"

Elrond rose from his chair and gestured to Serena to sit at a chair facing opposite to him by the fire. Only after Serena sat did Elrond take his seat again.

"What can I possibly help you with, human child? I have no potions, no enchantments to make another fall hopelessly in love with you. I have no magical items to make you a better fighter, or healer, or dancer, and I do not have need of another daughter so that you can be a princess. Others before you have asked, and my answer is still the same. No." His voice was steady and kind, but Serena could feel the steel behind it.

She was unwillingly reminded of her father. Oh, her father looked nothing like this great Elf Lord, but he had the same patient, yet strict voice that her father possessed. And the smell of the wood burning in the fire, memories of reading aloud while her father listened. Tears sprung unbidden to her eyes.

"I don't want any of those things. I only want to go home. I want my family back." Serena finally managed.

Elrond's gaze changed slightly and some of the steel softened. "What is your name?"

Serena looked up and met his gaze squarely for the first time.

"Anna. My name is Anna."


	4. Chapter 4

"Anna," Elrond said. "Such a simple name, in a time when events are anything but." His gaze turned to the fireplace and it seemed to Anna that he was very far away. Finally he looked back up and focused on her face.

"I fail to see how I can help you, young woman. If you wish to go home then do so."

"I can't. Maeve says that she will not open the gate that separates our two worlds for anyone. I was hoping you would know something, anything that would help me find a way," Anna said pleadingly.

"I know nothing of this gate, nor of how to open it." Anna felt the pit of her stomach drop and despair take over her body. "However," Elrond continued, "I have some theories."

"Please, even your theories are better than nothing!" Anna exclaimed.

Elrond hardened his stare and Anna felt as though her very soul was being examined.

"Why should I help you? Yes, one child would be gone from my world and back where she belongs, but why should I risk the safety of my daughter if your Queen Maeve were to find out I aided you? You have acted selfishly and perhaps you must learn to live with your choice."

Something broke inside Anna and tears came to her eyes. "I know. I know what we've done to you and your family, and to this entire world. It was so beautiful before, and now it's cheap and fake. But I want to help fix it now, something has to be done!"

"I doubt you would have the strength. For all your stolen skills, you are still a child inside." Elrond said coolly.

"Stop calling me that!" Anna exclaimed and inwardly winced at how childish she did indeed sound. She took a deep breath to calm herself. "Please, Lord Elrond. I know a great wrong has been done to you and your land, and I would seek a way to fix it. I would do anything to get back home and see my family again."

He stared at her for a long time and it seemed as if ages had passed.

"I will help you, but you must follow my instructions to the letter."

* * *

Anna exited Lord Elrond's quarters and gently shut the door behind her. She approached the Maiden in charge of administration again and asked for a new "Change of Visitation" form.

The woman smiled sardonically at Anna. "Changed your mind after meeting him, eh? Can't say I blame you- he's a cold fish, that one." The woman waited as Anna filled out her form and took it back from her. "Aragorn, again? Well, good luck with him, I know I haven't had any."

The girl gave Anna a smile and winked. "One of these days, one of us will catch him. Just keep trying."

Anna felt as though she was on pins and needles the whole day. Elrond had given her instructions but she had no idea if she would be able to carry them out. Getting into Maeve's private office would be easy enough since there was nothing of real value there, but how would they accomplish the rest?

* * *

"_But Vilya…Lord Elrond, the ring is now useless," Anna protested._

_"Yes, in the face of the many "Rings of Power" that you outsiders have brought with you, my ring is of lesser strength, yet not useless, child. You will need to retrieve it."_

A smile slid onto Anna's face. In the books, the One Ring was the most powerful ring in all of Middle-earth, and now it was but a trinket. Most of the Maidens who entered the world were unaffected by its power as their "character" was too strong to be corrupted by it's sway.

_"No," thought Anna, "We've just been corrupted in other ways."_

With the One Ring rendered obsolete, Sauron had fallen as well. He had no power over this new army of Maidens, and his stronghold had been torn down. Warrior Maidens had disposed of his followers and also imprisoned Saruman in his tower as well.

However, the One Ring remained. Most Maidens did not want it destroyed since it would have a negetive effect on the Elves in the Realm- and Elves were a hot commodity. It was currently in the Shire, and on display to whoever wished to see it, or even try it on. Most Maidens felt it was a minor magical item- after all who wanted to be invisible when the main goal was to show off your beauty as much as possible?

* * *

Anna waited until mid-day when she knew Maeve and her two bodyguards would be occupied elsewhere in the castle. She didn't envy Maeve's job- the woman had to oversee most of day-to-day activities of the castle to ensure they were well stocked and defended. There was always the threat that another faction would invade and take the "prizes" of Rivendell.

Anna tiptoed up to Maeve's high office, where she had visited just a day or two ago. She gently knocked on the door to be sure that no one was there. After straining her ear to the door, she opened it and stepped inside. There was Vilya, just as Elrond had described it!

Just as she was lifting the glass dome protecting the ring, she heard a creak outside the door. Anna's heart began to pound and wildly thought of some reason that she would be in Maeve's office and holding Elrond's ring. She was paralyzed by fear and knew that Maeve would have no problem throwing her in the dungeon for stealing…or worse.

However, the footsteps receded from the hallway and the door did not open. Anna heaved a sigh of relief and quickly retrieved Vilya. She had selected a similar looking ring from her own jewelry box and replaced it under the case- Maeve shouldn't even notice the difference, unless she inspected it. With that she hurried out of the office and back to her room.

The first stage was finished, and now came the difficult part.


	5. Chapter 5

Anna anxiously awaited her appointment with Aragorn in her room. She had spent the better part of the morning trading favors with the other Maidens in order to get an appointment so soon with him.

"Can I do this?" she thought to herself. "Can I convince him? What if he doesn't believe me? What if he won't help?" A million questions ran through her mind and her stomach roiled unpleasantly. Finally, the clock ticked to the appointed hour and Anna made her way to Aragorn's apartment.

She knocked respectfully at the door and waited for him to answer. "What if's" played through her mind- Lord Elrond's plan could mean death for them both if they were caught.

He finally came and bade her enter the rooms. As always, the sight of him took her breath away and she felt weak and sweaty.

"Will you sit down?" he inquired in his polite, yet distant voice.

"Thank you," she answered meekly.

"We have met before? Serena, I believe?"

"Yes, we have met…but, please, call me Anna, Lord Aragorn?" she replied.

"Lord Aragorn? I have not been called so in so long. It is a courtesy most of your kind no longer afford me."

Anna felt the heat rising to her face at his accusation. Her plan was not going well so far.

"Lord Aragorn, I have urgent business with you…"

He cut her off before she could continue: "No I will not marry you."

If it were possible, Anna felt her face redden even more. "No, no, that is not what I wanted to ask. Please, this is difficult…I wish to escape from this world, and I need your help to do so. I know I ask a lot, and you don't even know me, but Lord Elrond said I needed your help if I were to carry out this plan, so here I am…"

Anna started to feel panicked: her plan was not working! He would refuse her and she would be stuck in this "paradise" forever. No! She had to convince him of her sincerity!

Taking a deep breath to steady herself she continued: "Lord Aragorn, I know you may not believe me, and you have no reason to, but I'm here anyway. I spoke to Lord Elrond about wanting to leave Middle-earth and he bade me to include you on this plan. Here, he also asked me to give you his ring, Vilya, to show my sincerity." She held out the ring clumsily and accidentally flung it at him. He simply raised an eyebrow at her and retrieved it. Anna felt as though she could sink through the floor immediately and be thankful that this embarrassment was over.

"This is indeed Vilya, but why give it to me? As your Queen is fond of taunting, the magic items of Middle-earth are useless." Aragorn said.

Anna shook her head. "No, not useless, Lord Aragorn. Weakened, yes, but not useless. And Lord Elrond believes there is a way to return all of Middle-earth back to its former strength, but I need your help to do it. Things are not as they should be here: the players have been captured and we must free them. You and I must escape and return things to how they should be, beginning in the Shire."

"Your plan is tempting, Anna, yet I fail to see how that would help you return home."

"Lord Elrond thinks that by helping to restore the players to their original roles, the Gate will be weakened enough for me to go back home. But I can't do it alone, and it will be dangerous. The Maidens will try to stop us…your Arwen will be in danger if you escape."

Aragorn leveled his gaze at Anna. "She is in danger now, and things cannot be left the way they are indefinitely. I will help you Anna, although if you seek to betray me, I will not hesitate to kill you."

Anna felt a chill run down her spine and she knew he spoke the truth. "I swear to you that I am being truthful, and that I am determined to carry out this plan until it is done."

"Then you shall have my help. Tell me, what is your plan, Anna?"

* * *

Queen Maeve was lounging in her bath when she heard a knock at the door. She grumbled and wondered who would have the audacity to bother her while she was so indisposed.

"My Queen, I am sorry to disturb you, but I have a letter from Aragorn".

Maeve sat upright in her bath. "Bring it to me at once!"

The woman scurried in and handed Maeve the letter, all while averting her eyes. Maeve dismissed her with a wave of her hand and tore into the note.

"_My lady, I have decided to accept your invitation to attend the evening ball as your escort. I hope that we will be able to come to an understanding between our two peoples and I will extend the hand of goodwill first. -Aragorn"_

"_So",_ Maeve thought, _"The man is coming to his senses."_ She knew it would only be a matter of time before he submitted to her completely.

* * *

Anna dressed for her last ball that night. She looked around her small room for the last time and wondered if she was making the right choice. Might it be simpler to stay, to finish out her life here in luxury and peace? Anna felt empty at the thought. _No, I have to go. I want to go home. This life is not real._

Anna stepped out of her room and entered the Great Hall. She spied Maeve parading Aragorn around on the dais above her.

"So it begins," she murmured under her breath.


	6. Chapter 6

"It is a glorious night," gloated Maeve to herself. Not only was she outshining all of the Maidens at the ball, but also she had the ultimate in accessories: Lord Aragorn. The man looked positively delicious and she soaked in the jealous glares of the other girls.

She stood with her prize on the balcony overlooking the feasting hall so she could be sure that everyone would see her. "It's wonderful, don't you think? Did you know I started this tradition? I always did love stories about balls and magic when I was a child, and now it is a reality. And now my fantasy is complete, as you are here with me", she purred demurely.

Maeve drew Aragorn closer and looked deeply into his eyes. Finally, finally, she would have what she wanted: his love and devotion. He would kiss her; she knew it!

* * *

All eyes turned jealously towards the high balcony. Anna heard mumbles all around her: "Who does she think she is?" "She's not that pretty or special, you know." Anna knew this was the moment and shut her eyes tightly.

* * *

Maeve found herself entranced by the man's eyes. He was so handsome, and so close. "I've been waiting for this moment for so long," she moaned.

"So have I, my lady."

Maeve watched as Aragorn lifted his hand towards her face and whispered something…it was peaceful, and comforting, yet she could not make out the language…

Suddenly a flash of light exploded through the Great Hall! Anna heard the screams of the Maidens around her, then silence. She peeked an eye open to see hundreds of collapsed bodies all around her.

"I see Vilya does indeed have some power left. We must haste away, before they awaken."

Anna looked up to the high balcony and nodded. She quickly stripped off her ornate ball gown to reveal the simple traveling clothes underneath. She was lucky to have found them at all since "simple" was not exactly in style in this castle.

Anna ran up the stairs to meet Aragorn. "Do you have your supplies? Your bow? Are you prepared for this, Anna?" he inquired.

"Yes…yes, I think so. I don't know, but I can't turn back now. One of the Elven stable masters said he would have two horses waiting for us, so we should hurry."

They ran to the stables. Anna's heart was in her throat the whole way. She was terrified that Maeve had woken early and there would be a whole host to stop them. Luckily they came to the stables without any impediment. The Elven man was there to greet them and handed the reins to Aragorn.

"My lord Aragorn, my lord Elrond bade me to give you a message. He says he has escaped the castle and is in hiding for now. He asks that you find his daughter and free her."

"I hope to see Arwen again soon. Let lord Elrond know I will do all I can if you should see him," replied Aragorn as he mounted his steed. "Come, Anna, we must fly to the Shire if we are to rescue Frodo and the hobbits before word reaches there of our escape."

Anna nodded and mounted her own horse. They spurred their steeds to the West and Anna did not spare a glance back towards the castle that had been her home for so long.

* * *

It was funny, reflected Anna, that all her young life she had dreamed of going on adventures with Aragorn, and now it had come true. Of course, in all her dreams she had never thought of what life would actually be like on the road. They had ridden for countless hours and her legs and back were beyond sore- they felt as if they would fall off. She had stupidly not eaten at the Feast and now she was starving. She knew that they had to make time, but it was an effort not to complain and ask for a break. Even with her "super powers" she was unprepared for the vigorous pace.

They finally stopped for a brief rest and Anna dismounted, feeling sweaty and exhausted. _"What he must think of my 'stunning beauty' now",_ she thought ruefully. Her hair was already tangled and matted from the wild ride. She searched her pack, but she had not packed a brush. Anna tried vainly to finger comb out the tangles but soon gave up the endeavor. Again she cursed her long hair and the fact that it was so blindingly white- it seemed to be a beacon for enemies in the night! She stuffed the whole lot of it down the back of her shirt and pulled her cloak up around her face. At least the mass of hair could keep her warm.

Aragorn broke the silence: "We reach Bree soon. Tell me, Anna, is Bree much like Rivendell? Do the Maidens control it as well?"

"Well, not really. No one…important lives there, you see, so it's been mainly ignored. Of course, we should be careful, but the danger won't be too bad until we reach the Shire."

"Tell me of the faction there, Anna. Most Maidens would not share such information with me. The only intelligence I have is on what is popular in ladies fashion at the moment" said Aragorn with a wry smile.

"I can tell you what I know, but as the factions don't always mix, I could be wrong. Hmm, well, I know that Frodo, Merry, Pippin, Sam, and of course, the One Ring are kept in the Shire. Mostly Hobbit Maidens live there. I think their leader is named 'Rosiette' but I'm not sure. Actually, I have heard some rumors…"

"Please go on" Aragorn urged.

"Well, the thing is, no one's heard from Rosiette for awhile, not even Maeve. I mean, they don't get along, but then none of the Queens do because they hate sharing power. But Rosiette always had a civil understanding with Maeve as the two live so close to each other. But Maeve was saying that the Shire faction has been unusually quiet lately, so quiet that Maeve was considering sending a messenger, but I doubt she ever got around to it."

"Is this 'Rosiette' much like Maeve?" inquired Aragorn.

"I've never met her, but most of the Hobbit Maidens are pretty laid back, and there aren't as many of them as there are Elven or Human Maidens. Guess most of them didn't like the idea of being short and having hairy feet. They pretty much stayed out of the war, and truth be told, most Maidens aren't interested in Hobbits. They're more interested in Elves and well, uh…"

"Me," filled in Aragorn.

"Yes, you', blushed Anna.

Aragorn nodded and looked at the sky appraisingly. "We should rest now. We leave at daybreak."

* * *

Anna woke the next morning to being shook rather rudely. Who was doing that, and why was she sleeping on some hard mattress with a stone for a pillow?

"Anna, if we are to reach the Shire soon, we must leave now", came an insistent voice. Suddenly Anna remembered where she was and whom she was with and sat upright immediately.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm ready to go now!" she stood up suddenly and felt her back crack. "Ugh. I didn't know riding was so damned painful!" she moaned.

Aragorn merely smiled at her and mounted his horse.

They rode for days and finally arrived at the outskirts of Hobbiton. The countryside was strangely quiet, and they had not encountered another soul for days. The thought made Anna uneasy and she wondered for the thousandth time if they were walking into a trap. She mentioned as much to Aragorn.

"I do not detect anything, yet I was not able to sense danger when the Maidens came into our world, so perhaps their power is just greater than my own. Still, it is very quiet, and rather…peaceful, wouldn't you say?"

Anna agreed that Hobbiton looked much as she had imagined it: lush green hills, quaint hobbit dwellings, and small farms dotted the landscape. There was one noticeable structure that did not fit in, however. Anna could see a half-built castle in the distance.

"I wonder what that is? It looks like Rivendell's castle, but they never finished theirs. Why leave it half-built?"

"I am not sure. Perhaps we should move closer and inspect the castle. Most likely Frodo is being held there, and the rubble will give us some excellent places to hide."

Anna and Aragorn made their way to the dilapidated structure. It was an odd place. It looked as though half of it had been carefully built- there was even some furniture that stood there, although it was stained and wrecked from sitting out in the elements. But it was as if whoever started had suddenly lost interest and didn't care to finish.

Just as Anna was about to suggest to Aragorn that they search elsewhere, she heard a voice coming from the distance.

"Oh yes, excellent picnic spot! Did you bring the bread? The ale? The pipe weed? The honey cakes? The roast? Ahh! Excellent!"

The voice was that of a male, and a woman's giggle sounded in response to his inquiries. Anna peeked out and saw the pair spreading a blanket in the middle of what would be the Great Hall in the castle.

"Oh, Pippin! I forgot the nut rolls, and it's just not Second Breakfast with out them!" the hobbit girl pouted prettily. "I'll run and fetch them and be right back! Don't start without me!"

Pippin looked at her guiltily with a mouthful of honey cake and shrugged. The girl just laughed and ran off to presumably get the forgotten rolls.

"That's Pippin! I can't believe our luck! We have to rescue him!" whispered Anna.

"It does not appear that he is in need of rescuing. Indeed things are different here than they are in Rivendell. He is not kept under lock and key, and he is even left unattended," replied Aragorn.

"That's odd…things shouldn't be like that. I've heard stories about the hobbit maidens, and they weren't pretty. They were always killing each other off to be with Merry, or Sam. Those four hobbits had to be protected…well, that's what this castle was supposed to be built for. But now, it's almost if things are the way they should be," said Anna.

"The Ring is also here, is it not? Perhaps it still exerts some influence after all. The Ring cares not for the presence of these new Maidens, it still has it's original goal in mind- it wants to be found by it's Master."

"But, Sauron is gone! The Maidens destroyed him and his army, so there is no Master for the Ring to return to," protested Anna. "The Ring is kind of useless now, because so many Maidens can withstand it's pull."

"Perhaps Sauron is not gone, as you think. There is only one way to destroy him, as my ancestor learned centuries ago. You can defeat his armies, yet if the Ring still exists, he does as well. He is simply biding his time, Anna."

The thought sent shivers down her spine. Sauron, still alive? Was that possible. Then another terrible thought occurred to her.

"If we do this, if we help Frodo on his journey again, will we have to face him? Will he come back?" asked Anna.

"I do not know. This journey is as new to you as it is to I. But we must hurry if we are to get to Pippin before the lass comes back."

With that, Aragorn stepped out from his hiding place and greeted the young hobbit. Pippin stood in shock and then broke out into a wide grin. "Aragorn! Is it really you? What are you doing here, then?"

"Greetings, my old friend, yes it is I. I came to rescue you, but I see that perhaps you do not need my aid? Tell me, what has happened here?"

"Oh, much indeed, much indeed! Sit, sit! Savanna has run off to get more rolls, but if I know her she has already eaten them all and will bake another batch to make up for it. We have time to talk. Where should I begin…?"


	7. Chapter 7

"Where should I begin?" asked Pippin as he shoved another cake, whole, into his mouth. A thoughtful look crossed his face as he swallowed. "But first, who is your traveling companion, Aragorn? Is she an Elf? If she is, Sam will be frightfully delighted!"

"My name is Anna," answered Anna.

"She is a Maiden," finished Aragorn, "But she has been most helpful and wants to return our world to what it was. Before I explain the rest, please continue your story."

"Yes, well, you know about the whole invasion of the Maidens, so I won't begin there. The whole war, that was particularly dreadful, what with all the killings and destruction everywhere. And I've heard that Hobbiton didn't even see the worst of the war. The four of us, I mean Merry, Frodo, Sam and I, well we were kept out of all that-instead we were caught in the middle of all of the bickering for our attention. Mind you, myself and Merry didn't mind much, having beautiful hobbit women at our beck and call, but Frodo and Sam…they weren't as open-minded,shall Isay."

Pippin continued: "Well, the strangest part started happening about six months ago. The Maidens were pretty jealous of each other and were fighting over the four of us non-stop. Then one day they started losing interest in us and started being more interested in food, naps, and other proper hobbit activities. There was no more magic spells, no more talking to animals, and no more fighting. They even stopped building this castle, and they were all so worried before about finishing it. Mind you,a few of them were still interested in us, like pretty Savanna there, but it wasn't anything like before…I wonder why…"

Anna coughed politely to get Pippin's interest. "Where are they: Frodo, and the others? We need to go, and soon."

"Go? Why? Things are pretty pleasant here, I doubt any of us want to leave," answered Pippin.

Aragorn sighed. "Typical hobbit attitude. Pippin, it is important that you take us to Frodo and the others. And the Ring, is it still here as well?"

"Yes, it's still here as well, although not sure why you'd be interested. I'll take you Frodo now, I'm sure he'd be happy to see you again, Aragorn." With that, Pippin stood (while carrying as much food with him as possible) and started to walk towards town. As they reached the edge of the run down castle, Aragorn held up a warning arm.

"Pippin, I doubt our presence will go unnoticed here. The Maidens will try to stop us if we enter town."

"No, no, I doubt they would care. Trust me, they are more interested in Second Breakfast than in stopping you."

"I would rather not take that chance, my friend," said Aragorn.

Pippin shook his head and smiled. "He's always like this," he said to Anna. "Very well, then stay here and let your friend come. Another Maiden, even a tall one, shouldn't attract too much notice. There were a few at one time in this sector."

"Very well then. Anna, I leave the task to you," replied Aragorn.

Anna nodded and followed Pippin. He led her to the local pub, where most hobbits were now gathering for their next meal of the day. "If Sam, Frodo, and Merry are anywhere, it'll be here. Especially since Rosie works here. One of these days she'll marry someone else ifSam doesn't act soon."

As Pippin had promised, no eyebrows were raised at Anna's entrance. A few murmurs of "big person" were heard, but Anna did not detect any hostility. Pippin pointed her to a corner table where Frodo and company sat. For a moment, Anna was awestruck. There they were! It was amazing to see characters from her childhood sitting right before her. She pulled herself together and let Pippin lead her to the table.

"Well, Pip, who's this then?" asked Merry with a welcoming smile. Sam and Frodo regarded her with a more guarded nod.

"This is Anna, and she's come with Aragorn", answered Pippin.

"Aragorn! Why I haven't seen that old chap in some time! Why didn't he come with her then?" cried Merry.

Pippin replied in a silly whisper: "Because he's in hiding. You know, because of the Maidens and all."

"Perhaps he does not believe they have really changed, as I do. You two would do well to be careful as well", interrupted Frodo. "Why has Aragorn come? I thought he was trapped in Rivendell by the faction there. Have the Maidens there changed as the ones here?"

Anna was a little caught off guard by Frodo's questions. She stuttered out: "Yes, he's here. And no, the Maidens are pretty terrible where I come from. We're here to fix things, and we need you all to come with us if we are to do so." Anna explained everything that had happened in Rivendell and their escape from the castle to the four hobbits.

"Things have really gotten that bad? I admit, I was troubled by the Maidens at first, but now things are almost back to normal. I don't know if I want to leave now", said Merry.

Frodo looked more pensive. "I don't know if I can stay here if I know things are going so badly everywhere else. I trust Aragorn, and if he needs us, then I would go."

"I go where Mr. Frodo goes," stated Sam firmly.

Anna, Frodo, and Sam looked at Merry and Pippin expectantly. "All right, all right. We all stick together, then. When do we leave, a week from now?" said Merry.

"No, tonight!" said Anna. "And we must retrieve the Ring as well before we go."

"It is in Bag End at the moment. I can retrieve it. All right, go and pack for the journey…" said Frodo.

"But where are we going?" asked Pippin as Anna felt a sense of déjà vu.

"First we have to go to Mirkwood Forrest, to rescue Legolas," said Anna. "I'll explain the rest on the road."


	8. Chapter 8

"That cursed little brat!" screamed Maeve as she smashed another piece of furniture in her office. Maeve was beyond furious and was edging towards incoherent rage. Gone. Aragorn and Elrond were inexplicably missing from the castle, and Serena Whitewind with them. The thought of that _simpering, little fool_ made Maeve smash her own mirror with her bare fist. The pain jolted her back into reason and she regarded the blood dripping from her knuckles cooly.

This wouldn't do. She had to think now, not give into the anger or she would never recover what she had lost. Maeve summoned her twin guards who were waiting patiently outside her quarters.

"I want to you trace every movement Serena Whitewind has made in the past few days. Find out how she escaped and where she has gone. Report back to me immediately when you do. Dismissed!"

As the twins departed, Maeve sank into her only intact chair and closed her eyes. She began to relax as she thought of all the ways she would hurt Serena once she was found.

* * *

"I'm a little unsure of what we're supposed to do now. Could you explain it again, Anna?" asked Frodo.

The four hobbits, Anna, and Aragorn were about a mile away from the Shire and heading towards Bree.

"Well, as Lord Elrond explained it to me, the story of your world has been disrupted by all the Maidens. So we need to tell the story as it should be, meaning that you have to take the Ring to Mount Doom and destroy it."

"But, that seems almost impossible! Between here and Mordor are thousands of bloodthirsty Maidens standing in our way. They're worse than Sauron!"

"Well, that's why we have to rescue as many of the original nine Walkers as possible. It was Elrond's hope that as the journey progresses, the inhabitants of Middle-earth will return to their former strength and be able to fight the Maidens themselves," replied Anna.

"So that's why we're going to Mirkwood to get Legolas?" asked Merry.

"Yes. We also need to know where Gimli is, and he would be our best resource."

"What do you mean? Isn't Gimli being held somewhere too?" asked Sam.

"Well, no," replied Anna. "No Maiden was interested in him, or any dwarf, so that group was left alone. They've gone into hiding and no one cared enough to find them, as long as they didn't cause any problems."

"Dwarves have always been isolationists, so it's not that surprising that they are not out fighting the Maidens," commented Aragorn.

"But how in the world are we going to get Legolas out of Mirkwood? I've heard that it's even more strongly guarded than Rivendell!" cried Sam.

"Well, the five of us will be fine, Sam. The Maidens wouldn't dare harm us. But you, Anna, are in mortal danger. They will not hesitate to kill you. Are you sure that you want to continue on with us? You could probablytakecoverin Bree or the Shire," said Aragorn.

"No. I want to go with you, and you still need my help. I'm embarrassed to say that, but I'm still the best fighter you have. My archery skills will be needed," replied Anna.

Aragorn merely nodded at her. "We do need a plan, however. We will rest in Bree and decide what course of action to take next."

* * *

The castle at Rivendell was oddly quiet. Maeve had canceled all balls and feasts and the castle was on high alert. Some Maidens were searching the woods nearby to find any signs of where Serena and company had gone while others were preparing for battle.

The rumors were flying as well. Some believed that Serena was attempting to wrest power away from Maeve so that she could become Queen of Rivendell. Others thought that Serena was a spy from another faction who had infiltrated so she could steal away Aragorn and Elrond. Only Maeve knew about Serena's wish to go home again, and she could only guess that the girl had found a way to open the Gate.

_"But how would she do it?"_ wondered Maeve. _"Does she think that Elrond and Aragorn would be powerful enough to open it? Where have they gone?"_

The thought crossed her mind to contact the other Maiden Queens in the Shire, Gondor, and Mirkwood to let them know about the escape, but Maeve hesitated. If they knew Aragorn and Elrond were missing, they might think that Maeve was a weak Queen and would try to take over Rivendell. No, she would keep quiet for now, until she had more clues.

A quiet knock at the door startled Maeve. "Enter," she commanded. Her twin guards saluted. "Report!" ordered Maeve.

"My Queen, it appears that Serena Whitewind had been very busy the past few days within the castle. She had meetings with both Elrond and Aragorn shortly before the escape. She must have given Aragorn some kind of magical item in order to incapacitate us all so soundly. However, Serena had no item of her own, and all other magical items in the castle have been accounted for," reported the twin on the left.

The twin on the right continued: "Furthermore, we have found two sets of tracks. One leads towards the Shire, and the other leads to the East, but then disappears suddenly. No one has been able to track it further."

Maeve slowly considered this information. "You two, follow the tracks to the Shire, and be quiet about it. I don't want anyone else to know that we have lost our "treasures". Bring them all back alive, especially Serena. I have much to…talk to her about."


	9. Chapter 9

"Why do we have to go this way?" asked Pippen. "It would be much quicker if we just took the road east if we are going to Bree. This is taking us far out of our way!"

"We're going this way because it is the way Anna has told us we must go, and we must restore the correct timeline as closely as we can. Besides that, we may be found if we travel the road, so this route will confuse any enemies," answered Aragorn.

"I have to admit, this place _is_ a little scary," remarked Anna. The party had entered the Old Forest and was making their way slowly to the town of Bree.

"Yes, the trees do seem rather menacing. There is an awareness in this forest, and I do not think that it approves of us being here. Best to move through as quickly as possible," answered Aragorn.

"I don't know what you mean, this is a forest, like any other," said Pippen. "I don't feel anything different about it."

"Then I suggest you begin to take care in noticing your surroundings, young hobbit. The trees have been pushing us towards something for the last few hours. I doubt we will like what we find when we reach it," replied Aragorn.

"Guiding us? Then we should switch course!" exclaimed Frodo.

"Alas, this path is also the quickest to Bree, which we must reach and soon. The longer we delay, the sooner the Maidens from Rivendell will find us. We must continue."

Anna shivered and felt somewhat afraid. She knew that the hobbits had traveled through the Old Forest, but had insisted that her father skip the boring parts and get to the action. He had sighed at her impatience and continued the story when the Hobbits arrived in Bree, and met Strider. Now she had no idea of what they were about to face and she cursed herself for being so impatient with her father's reading.

* * *

"They passed this way, only a few days ago," stated Wynter.

"Yes, sister. It appears they make for the Bree," replied Rayne.

"We shall arrive there soon. We will ask the commoners there if they have seen any sign of our quarry."

Rayne regarded her twin austerely. "You are wise, sister."

* * *

The day grew darker, and more gloomy. Anna's sense of dread grew stronger and stronger until she felt as if she would scream from the tension. The Forrest was utterly silent and she strained to hear any small noise, yet there was nothing.

"Well, hey doll, merry dell!" a voice chimed seemingly out of nowhere.

Anna screamed at the sudden noise and promptly slapped her hand over her mouth. Aragorn shot her a withering look and she blushed under his gaze. If an enemy were around, they would soon know where they were due to Anna's yell.

She looked around wildly for any clue to whom the mysterious speaker was. Anna felt a tap on her shoulder and spun around. Behind her was an odd little man dressed in yellow and blue.

"Hey doll, merry doll! Tom Bombadil is here!" sang the cheery little man.

Anna took a step back. "Who…are you?" she stammered.

"Tom Bombadil!" he shouted merrily back.

"But…what are you doing in the middle of the forest? Who are you?" she asked again.

"Anna, the man has answered you once. This is Tom Bombadil, denizen of the Old Forest, and a most welcome ally," supplied Aragorn.

The little man grinned in response to Aragorn's introduction. "Yes, yes! But we must not speak here. There are enemies about. Come with me, and dine with Goldberry and I tonight. Quickly, follow!" At that, Tom sprinted away and did not spare a look behind to see if the party was following.

Anna looked to Aragorn and shrugged. "What should we do?"

"Follow the man!" replied Aragorn as he sprinted after Tom. The rest of the party followed suit.

* * *

They finally came to Tom's abode. "Come in, come in! My Goldberry awaits!" he cried as he ushered them in.

The party was led to an eating area and Anna beheld the loveliest being she had ever seen. The woman was surrounded by an aura of mist and had golden hair cascading down her back. _"This must be Goldberry",_ thought Anna. The other Maidens would have turned green with jealously at the sight of this woman.

A woman smiled at the party and gestured to them to sit. "Tom has told me of your coming. Please sit," she said in a gentle tone. "We have much to discuss."

* * *

"So, you see, tis lucky our meeting! Old Man Willow was about to get you in his trap, if Tom Bombadil had not met you!" cried Tom. It seemed to Anna that the little man was never still; he fidgeted and danced around constantly, even while eating.

"Yes, thank you Sir, we are in your debt," Anna said.

Goldberry laid a hand softly on Anna's. "You are in more danger, however, from more than just Old Man Willow," she said softly. "Others of your kind will seek to stop you. And I fear that as you make more progress, other dangers, older dangers, will emerge."

"What do you mean?" asked Anna.

"Already, your tiny steps have caused a ripple throughout the land. The Ring has moved from the Shire, its resting place of many years. The rightful Ringbearer carries it. Old Evils have sensed this change, and are stirring. They are weak, but as you set things to right, they will get stronger. He is waking."

"Sauron," stated Aragorn flatly. Anna felt a chill go down her spine.

"Yes," replied Goldberry. "He again seeks what is his. Soon both his agents and the Maidens will seek you. You must seek out more powerful allies to aid you."

"We are doing so, Lady. Already we plan to head for Bree, and from there to Mirkwood to rescue Legolas. We hope to find the others as well."

Goldberry smiled. "Yes, and Tom and I can give you news of one who will aid you greatly. It is time to welcome a new guest to our party."

Goldberry cocked her head to the side, as if she could hear something. "Yes, it seems our guest as arrived. Please, come in, Gandalf the Grey!"


	10. Chapter 10

Anna felt a shock run through her body. Gandalf, here? Many questions raced through her brain, but before she could voice any of them, the wizard himself appeared in the small dining area.

He was more impressive than Anna could have imagined. He was very tall and wore long, gray robes and a large floppy hat. His nose was rather severe, but his eyes seemed to twinkle. Something about his appearance was not quite right, yet Anna could not put her finger on it…

"Gandalf! Is it really you? It's been so long!" Anna's revere was broken by cries of glee from the hobbits at seeing their old friend. Aragorn stood and clasped Gandalf's hand warmly.

"You are a most welcome sight, Mithrandir," said Aragorn. "But how is it possible…where have you been all this time?"

"A long story, to be sure, and best told over some pipe weed. Sit, all of you, and stop poking me, Sam, yes I am really here. Ah, but who is this white-haired woman? Do you call her friend, Aragorn? Most young women are not to be trusted these days," spoke Gandalf.

"A friend she has been thus far, Gandalf. This is Anna, a Maiden, and she alone of her kind has agreed to help us reclaim Middle-earth," replied Aragorn.

Anna's mind was awhirl and she blushed. Aragorn considered her a friend? She had no time to consider the statement as Gandalf had stalked up to her and was looking down his nose at her appraisingly. Suddenly he grabbed her chin with his rough fingers and stared into her eyes. Anna squirmed uncomfortably, but his grip was firm.

"Yes, she seems to have some spirit and resolve, yet we will see," commented Gandalf. "I am satisfied, for now, Anna, that you are a friend to our cause. Do not give me cause to doubt it, however." Anna felt a chill at his words, and absolutely did not doubt it!

"But, Gandalf, where have you been? Why have you not come to see us?" cried Pippin.

"Sit, sit down all of you, and I will explain! Hobbits…still the same as ever," muttered Gandalf, not unkindly. The party all sat and Tom handed Gandalf a pipe. The wizard took his time in lighting it, then sat back and closed his eyes slightly. Just as Anna thought she would explode from impatience, Gandalf began to speak.

"I am sorry I have not been able to act more freely. I would have liked very much to come and see you, Pippen, but as you know, our world is filled with more danger than ever. When the Maidens came, I fought with Elrond and his sons against them. We held them off for a time, but our own powers were no match for such an onslaught. By this time, Arwen had been captured, and Elrond was ready to strike a deal with the Maiden leaders for her safety. As no one was begging for _my_ company, I decided to go into hiding. I've been here with Tom and Goldberry, biding my time. No one was begging for their company either."

Finally, the thought that had been eluding Anna struck her. Why was Gandalf wearing the gray? Shouldn't he be wearing white? As Gandalf the White he had more powers- why would he chose to return to his former self? It seemed impolite to ask him about it, and he didn't seem like he was fond of Anna, either. Anna decided to keep her observations to herself, for the time being.

"The time seems to have arrived, Gandalf," said Aragorn. He quickly updated the wizard on the plan to return the timeline and their goal of rescuing Legolas. "However, we still are unsure of how we will breach the defenses of Mirkwood forest. Thousands of Maidens surround Legolas, and our party is still small and has little power."

"I still have some tricks up my sleeve as well, Aragorn, do not fear. While the Maidens may consider me a foolish old man, I still have the ring Narya, the gift of Cirdan. And I see you carry Vilya, Aragorn, and Frodo again carries the One Ring. These are not worthless trinkets, and will aid us, for now.

"But I am getting ahead of myself. For now, we will make for Bree to get more horses, as we will have to make a long journey to Dale."

"Dale?" Anna spoke up, "But that's not even in the story- that's from Bilbo's journey!"

"Ah, and Bilbo's journey will teach us much! Recall that Bilbo was once infiltrated the heart of the Wood-elves territory: the Halls of Thranduil! That is where we will find Legolas. Sleep well tonight, as we leave at dawn tomorrow."


	11. Chapter 11

"Nah, ain't seen no one come this way, 'specially not some fancy Maidens or that Strider," spat Bill Ferny. "'Course, if they had, not like ol' Bill has any reason to tell ya, not without…compensation."

Rayne glanced at her sister and nodded slightly. Wynter's hand shot out suddenly and backhanded the dirty man across the face. The twins both smiled as they saw that a small cut had opened up the man's cheek and their eyes followed the trail of blood that wandered down his face.

"You will tell us if they arrive. You were Saurman's man, and now you are ours. As for compensation…" Rayne tossed a battered coin at the man's feet. "Consider that your payment."

* * *

At dawn, Anna stumbled her way to her horse. She was barely awake, and almost walked into Gandalf as she made her way in the cold morning air. "I'm sorry,' stammered Anna as Gandalf continued to stare disapprovingly at her. The wizard's eyes followed her as she clumsily attempted to mount her horse.

"If I've done something to offend you…"started Anna.

"Everything about the Maidens offends me, young woman," interrupted Gandalf. "The fact that you now have developed some guilt and have become an ally does not impress me. For now, your skills are needed, and as long as you are useful, you may stay. However, do not try my patience, as Middle-earth has suffered far too long for a child's fancy."

"I..I...know that words aren't enough, but, I do want to help you and your people," replied Anna.

"We shall see."

* * *

The group arrived at Bree by mid-day and set about to find extra mounts and supplies for their trip to Dale.

"I know the proprietor of the Prancing Pony. He will be able to give us some aid," commented Gandalf.

Anna was thrilled- the Prancing Pony? How exciting to actually see it! The party made their way through the narrow and dusty streets towards the inn. Anna noticed that the citizens of Bree were stopping and staring at them as they passed. She noted as such to Aragorn.

"Yes, our presence in this small town has made quite a stir. We will need to move on quickly."

Anna nodded in reply and was about to enter the inn herself when she noticed a small, dirty man leering at her from the doorway of a nearby house. Before she had a chance to say anything, he scurried away. She shrugged and walked through the doorway into the Prancing Pony.

* * *

"Butterbur! I asked for supplies, not more of your watered down ale!" Gandalf was in a terrible temper. He had been ordering the poor barkeep around for the past hour, and the man was not used to having to remember long lists, nor putting up with an ill-tempered wizard. Butterbur was saved from another scathing comment as Sam came though the inn door.

"Well, wasn't much to choose from, but I did get one pony. Named him Bill, broken down and just as ornery as the man I got him from, but he'll do." Sam eyed the pile of supplies in the back of the inn waiting to be loaded onto the unlucky pony. "Well, might as well begin with these…"

Suddenly a shadow appeared across the doorstep of the inn…actually, two shadows. "Sam, come here, now!" ordered Aragorn, and the hobbit scampered to his side.

Anna was filled with terror- it was the twins, Maeve's bodyguards! She pulled her bow with supernatural speed and readied an arrow at one of them- Wynter she thought. "Stop where you are!" croaked Anna in a strangled voice.

A slow smile curled up on the twins' lips as they surveyed the party before them.

"Most excellent," said Rayne, "the entire group here, and waiting to be brought back to our Queen." Her cold eyes turned towards Anna. "And Serena, Queen Maeve is especially interested in seeing you again."

"No! We're not going with you!" cried Anna. Her grip tightened on the arrow pointed at Wynter's head. She had never fought at such close range before, and she was beginning to feel sick to her stomach. The twins were excellent swordswomen, and they carried their sharpened blades at their sides. Anna gave one small bit of thanks that they hadn't yet drawn their swords.

"Serena, it's useless," said Wynter. "We're better than you are, and the rest of these…people are no match for us. Come with us peacefully, and perhaps you'll live."

"We will not be returning with you," replied a new voice. "Aragorn stepped forward, and he carried a beaten looking old broadsword. "I will stand against you, and fight you to the death, if necessary."

For the first time, the twins looked uncomfortable. _Of course_, thought Anna! _They can't hurt him- Maeve would have their heads for that! We may just be able to somehow get out of this!_

Just as this small hope entered Anna's head, a smile crossed Rayne's face. With lightening speed, she grabbed the old innkeeper Butterbur and held a sword to his throat. "You will surrender now, or I will kill him. Make your choice."

The old man struggled pitifully and Anna's insides twisted more. The moment she took her eyes off of Wynter, the woman began to lunge towards Anna, her hand going for her sword. Anna reacted in shock, drew back her arrow, and hit Wynter directly in the eye. The Maiden fell to the ground immediately, dead.

"You! My twin…you…" Rayne looked in shock at Anna, but Anna was in shock herself. Had she really done that? Had she really just…killed someone? Anna's hands began to shake, and she began to lower her bow.

Rayne shoved Butterbur to the floor and began to charge at Anna, wailing like a banshee, wicked blade in hand. _What do I do…she's going to kill me_, thought Anna wildly. She swung her bow at Rayne to keep her away, but the woman dodged her expertly and came around again to swipe at Anna's face.

Rayne didn't get the chance to finish her blow, as Aragorn tackled her to the ground. The blow knocked Rayne off her feet, but she quickly recovered and got to her feet. Aragorn planted himself, sword in hand, between Rayne and Anna. "You will challenge me, if you wish to avenge your dead sister," he said coldly.

Rayne's face became a mask of hatred. "I'll kill you to get to that traitor. I don't care anymore about what Maeve will do. That..._traitor_ killed the one thing that mattered to me! You'll pay for what you did to Wynter!" With that, Rayne again lunged at Aragorn. He defended, just barely, and danced out of the way of her thrust. Anna watched in horror- if Aragorn were killed, they would never be able to free Middle-earth from the Maidens. Anna would never be able to go home…

"Stop your moping, and draw your bow, you foolish child!" Anna heard the harsh voice in her ear. Gandalf was looking at her in exasperation. "Kill her, what are you waiting for? He can only distract her for so long!"

Anna felt the sickness return to her stomach. Killing Wynter was an accident, but this was…She closed her eyes for one second, then raised her bow, and loosed an arrow at Rayne's unprotected back…

and hit her shoulder.

Rayne again screamed as the arrow hit her right shoulder, causing her to drop her blade. Aragorn took advantage of the distraction and this time, his sword did hit the mark: right through the heart.

Rayne looked down at the sword sticking grotesquely in her chest in disbelief. "You?" she stammered as she dropped her knees. She clawed at the blade, but the light was slowly leaving her eyes. She looked again up at Aragorn in disbelief, and finally joined her sister in death.

Anna took the opportunity to throw up on the floor.

* * *

"It's all right, now."

Aragorn wrung out a linen square and pressed the cold cloth to Anna's face.

"I'm so sorry, Aragorn, I'm so sorry," stammered Anna. "I should have been better, I know, but I've never seen anyone die before. I didn't want to kill them, but if I hadn't…"

"Anna, I am heartened that you do not enjoy killing, and I am sorry that it was necessary for you to do so. What is important is that you acted when it was needed."

"But, I…you need my archery skills, and when I was needed, I froze up. You all could have been killed because of me!"

Aragorn took Anna's chin in his hand. "Your actions saved us, and you were able to do what was neccesary. You have our support, Anna, and we will help you as much as you will help us on our journey."

"And we must begin on that journey, now" a new voice chimed in. Gandalf entered the now empty inn and looked over Anna and Aragorn. "You both appear to be unwounded. Aragorn, the hobbits need some help loading the last of the supplies."

Aragorn left the room, and Anna struggled to her feet. "You did well, child," said Gandalf. "Maybe there's hope for you yet." With that, he strode out of the inn to the waiting party.

Anna stood by herself in the inn. The memory of the fight returned to her, and a chilling thought pierced her mind. _Why, with her flawless aim, had the arrow missed Rayne's heart?_ She had never missed her mark before now. She exited the inn and looked at the assembled party around her. Her eye caught a glint of gold around Frodo's neck and a deep feeling of unease passed through her body.


	12. Chapter 12

"Three weeks! Three weeks and not a sign of any of them!"

If there were anything left for Maeve to destroy in her office, she would have done so.

"How could the twins have lost their trail? Why am I surrounded by incompetence?" _It's true, they are all incompetent children_, she thought bitterly. The last few weeks had gotten unbearable for Maeve. Between hearing from disgruntled Maidens about missing their precious Aragorn to the reports about recent Elvish uprisings, Maeve's temper had really become frayed. _And there is no one to help me…I cannot go to the other Queens with this information. They would see it as weakness and start seeking to capture Aragorn for themselves. _

Maeve pressed her fingers to her temples and pushed hard. There had to be an answer. If only Wynter and Rayne would report in to her…

The sound of a squeak made Maeve lift her head. A dainty looking Maiden stood wringing her hands in the office doorway.

"My Lady, I have news of the twins. But I'm afraid you won't be happy," the woman spoke meekly.

Maeve snapped back: "Then come in and give your report. I don't have time for your stuttering!"

The woman blanched, but did as she was ordered. She took a deep breath and rattled out: "A man named Bill Ferny reported to one of our patrol groups that Wynter and Rayne are dead. He reported a woman with white hair and a bow killed them both, and that the entire party left soon after. He thinks they are going to Mirkwood forest."

As the woman finished, Maeve waved her out of her office with an impetuous wave of her hand. Maeve waited until the woman shut her office door and sank to the floor. How could they be dead? They were her elite bodyguards, and they were killed by a mewling little brat like Serena?

Nothing was making sense anymore. Maeve felt the control slipping from her fingers. "_It's not fair!" _she thought furiously. "_I've worked so hard and they all have no idea of all I've done to keep them all happy! I can't let one girl destroy everything I have built here! She must be brought to justice before this gets further out of control! But how…who can I trust to get her back?"_

This was a problem indeed, as the twins had been her most loyal subjects. Of course, many Maidens in the castle were expert Rangers and trackers, but would they have the guts to kill Serena, or would they be loyal enough to return with Aragorn to the castle once their mission was over? It pained Maeve to admit that there was not one Maiden that she completely trusted in her entire castle.

"There must be…yes!" An answer suddenly hit Maeve. The Moon Woman was dangerous, to be sure, but she did have her uses.

* * *

Maeve found herself at the entrance to the "Sanctuary". Maeve had always viewed this wing of the castle with distaste, and would have preferred to put every Maiden who showed any sort of psychological defect to the blade. But, as diplomacy was needed as well as force, Maeve had deigned to let any Maiden who buckled under the strain of a traumatic past or war injury stay in the castle-as long as they stayed in the Sanctuary.

The healer in charge of the wing looked up in surprise as Maeve entered. "My Queen, I did not know you were coming for an inspection today. If you had given us some notice…"

"Never mind all that. No inspection today, I'm sure you have them all under control. I'm here to see The Moon Woman."

The healer practically shuddered in response. "The Moon Woman, my Queen? Why would you want to? She remains unchanged as ever! She still spouts madness and we have to keep her restrained at all times. What she did to poor Rowena's face the last time…"

"I am not some untrained healer acting as a nursemaid to the woman, I am your Queen! You will let me in to see her immediately!"

The healer blanched, but was apparently more afraid of Maeve than of the Moon Woman. She escorted Maeve down several flights of stairs to a darkened basement. Finally they arrived at a barred door.

"She's inside here, my Queen. Are you sure you wish to see her- it is difficult for us to clean her and her bedding, so the smell will be overpowering."

Maeve snorted in response. "If I worried about trivial things like smell, I would not be Queen today. You may go now, as you obviously be no use to me." With that, Maeve shoved the door open and entered the darkened hovel.

When her eyes adjusted to the dark, Maeve was able to make out a shape lying on a dirty pallet on the floor. The healer did not lie; the smell was horrific. A dirty bundle of rags stirred from the floor, but did not get up. _"Of course; the restraints,"_ thought a distant part of Maeve's brain.

A slight cackling erupted and shook Maeve away from her thoughts. "Oh, yes, the Queen is here! My liege, my own, yesss." The voice was strained and hoarse, as if the woman had been screaming nonstop for years. _Actually, she probably had_, thought Maeve.

"Yes, I am here, Moon Woman. If I cut you out of your restraints will you talk with me awhile?"

"Talk…why talk when I can sing? Why sing if I can laugh? I could tear out your throat- bite out your lying tongue…but yes, I can talk with you awhile, my Queen," came the reply.

"You forget that you are at my mercy, Moon Woman, not the opposite. You will watch your own tongue or I _will _slit your throat," replied Maeve angrily.

The bundle of rags on the floor merely shook with laughter. Maeve pulled her stiletto from its sheath at her side and strode to the bundle on the floor. She reached out and pulled the woman's hair, bringing up her head and exposing the dirty white throat. "You will stop your laughing now, or I will kill you!" screamed Maeve.

The woman's eyes rolled up and fixed their gaze on Maeve. Maeve suppressed a shudder, as the woman's eyes were completely white. Maeve noted the old scars all over the woman's face and arms. She had been beautiful once, until the madness had taken over.

"What do you want, Maeve LaMorte? Maeve of Death? What could you say to me that would matter anymore?" the Moon Woman asked.

Maeve lowered the knife, and cut the bonds holding the Moon Woman to the pallet on the floor. She quickly stepped back, holding the stiletto in front of her. The Moon Woman simply unfolded herself and stood before Maeve unsteadily- it must have been some time ago that she had been allowed to stand.

"_I hadn't realized she was so tall_," thought Maeve appraisingly. _"She must be at least six feet…" _More details presented themselves slowly- the long rat's nest of silver hair, the long limbs and legs, and finally the reason for her name, the numerous moon-shaped scars on her arms and legs.

The day the Moon Woman appeared in Middle-earth was etched in Maeve's memory. They were in the middle of a fierce battle against the Elvish resistance, and Maeve kept losing more and more Maidens to their arrows. The Moon Woman seemed like a godsend at the time- she was an incredible warrior and simply would tear her enemies limb from limb. She decimated hundreds of fine, Elvish warriors…but when the war was over, the Moon Woman did not want to stop.

She was found standing over the body of another Maiden, covered in blood. When questioned, she would only say that she "wanted to see her insides, her real self". That was the day she was brought to the Sanctuary. The reason for the many crescent-shaped scars on her body was soon revealed as well if the Moon Woman could not hurt others, she would hurt herself, etching little cuts over and over again.

Maeve had no idea why the woman was the way she was, but she knew that the Moon Woman was useful.

"I have decided to give you freedom, Moon Woman. Living in this dirty cell is no life at all, even for one as vile as you. I have even decided to give you what you want- a chance to do battle again. If you will agree to my terms, you can kill a certain Maiden and remain free. If you do not, you can stay here to rot. The choice is yours."

"Maeve of Death…I am your creature."


	13. Chapter 13

Maeve was relaxing in a bath when the messenger came to her. "Report," she commanded.

"The Moon Woman left this evening, on foot. No horse would carry her, my Queen."

"Command all of our sentries to be on the watch. If she comes in range of the castle ever again, kill her on sight."

"Yes, my Queen."

* * *

Anna was jolted awake by a rough hand pulling at her shoulder. "It's your watch, girl."

She rubbed the sleep from her eyes to see Gandalf hunched next to her. The last few weeks of traveling had not quite softened the wizard to her presence, but at least he had become somewhat cordial…at least when he was not rudely shaking her awake.

Anna simply nodded Gandalf and struggled to get out of her sleeping blankets. Anna was amazed at the changes she herself had gone through while traveling with the Fellowship. At first, she had been mortified to realize that she was the only woman traveling with a company of men- it made changing, using the privy, and taking care of other feminine needs quite an experience. Realizing that she had no time for a bath added extra horror to the situation. Now, however, she had come to accept that she would be living in a semi-permanent state of grime, and at least all the dirt had dulled the bright white hair that seemed too much like a beacon to enemies.

What was left of her hair, that is. Anna finally tired of trying to get out all the tangles and knots that had developed. She remembered Aragorn's look of amusement as she had tried to hack off the long locks with a dull knife- he finally took pity on her and helped her chop off the rest. Her hair now fell roughly to her shoulder…although some patches were slightly higher. Aragorn was not the best of hairdressers.

Gandalf interrupted her thoughts. "We should reach Dale by tomorrow. Do you know much anything about it?"

"I remember, a little bit. My father used to tell me the story: about how that's where the dragon Smaug was killed, by their leader Bard," answered Anna.

"Yes, that was when the town was simply was known as Lake-town. When the dragon was killed it was rebuilt as Dale. But more than that, Lake-town, and later Dale have always been at the center of trade with their neighbors…especially their wine to the elves. If you recall, Bilbo and his company of dwarves had smuggled themselves in those very same empty wine barrels to escape the Elf King Thranduil's imprisonment. We will be using a similar technique to get ourselves into the heart of the Maiden's castle."

"Smuggle ourselves in wine barrels? That sounds really dangerous- do you really think we can pull it off?" asked Anna.

The wizard merely smiled back at her. "I haven't been completely idle these past years, young woman. There are more allies waiting for us when we reach Dale. We face danger, but not alone."

* * *

The Moon Woman loped along the grassy fields on all fours. If one had viewed her from a distance, she would have been mistaken for some kind of wolf or beast. She paused occasionally to sniff the wind for her quarry.

The thought of her days of battle with the elves drove her on. She remembered how sweet it was to cut them open, to ruin the perfection of their flawlessly sculpted faces. It had been so long since she had last taken a life…

A little bird of a thought flew through her brain, nagging at her. "…please…stop…" the little, tinny voice seemed to say. The Moon Woman pushed the voice back further into the tangle in her mind. The voice bothered her from time to time, seemed to be asking for something, but the Moon Woman paid it no mind. She would drown it out with the blood of the girl…the Maiden Anna.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

For weeks, the party maintained a steady pace north towards the Misty Mountains. "_It all seemed to happen so fast in the book!"_ thought Anna woefully. The scenery slowly changed as they made their way through the mountain pass, and finally the party beheld the greenery of Mirkwood.

In the distance, Anna could see a large silver castle. "_It looks like Cinderella's castle from Disneyland. Maidens are never original it seems."_

"That must be the Mirkwood faction's stronghold, where Thranduil and Legolas are being held" spoke Anna aloud.

"Our path lies further West, to Dale, which lies at the foot of the Lonely Mountain," replied Gandalf. "The road is still long ahead of us, and the creatures of Mirkwood are not friendly."

"Maidens aren't _creatures_," remarked Anna hotly at Gandalf's words.

"I was referring to the spiders, Anna."

* * *

The Moon Woman loped North, following the scent of the girl. Her nose was becoming more and more filled with the smell of greenery, of leaves, which could only mean one thing…

Elves…the elves…I want to see their insides…

The white woman shook herself softly and continued on the trail.

* * *

Anna's heart pounded every time she heard a snap of branch, or a call of a bird. "_Why did he have to talk about the spiders? I forgot about the spiders! I HATE SPIDERS!"_ Her hand was twitching for her bow and she was about ready to start shooting blindly into the woods when Aragorn put his hand softly on her shoulder. "Look, Anna. It's Dale. We've made it."

Anna looked up with a start and realized that he was right. The town had many houses and towers situated in a green valley, with the Lonely mountain presiding over it. It was strange, thought Anna, to see a place so simple and untouched by the Maidens.

"Gandalf, can we really find help here?" asked Frodo.

Gandalf smiled in reply and simply pointed to a group of armed men approaching the party from a distance.

"Help arrives as we speak, Master Baggins."

* * *

"Gandalf, it is good to have you back", remarked Bard. The party was seated around a large wooden table laden with food and wine.

"I promised I would return, King Bard, and I have brought hope with me. However, we will require your aid, and the aid of your men to free the Mirkwood elves."

King Bard only smiled in return. "You have the aid of my men, as well as other allies, Gandalf. Come with me."

Anna and the Fellowship followed Dale's leader out of the house. The man seemed to be leading them towards the Mountain. Suddenly, they heard a loud yell:

"ARAGORN! HA! IT IS YOU!"

A ball of red…something came flying out of a nearby tavern, wielding a large axe. Anna immediately pulled out her bow and aimed at the creature, but Gandalf stopped her.

The red ball stopped short in front of the party and again let loose a hearty laugh.

"Gimli!" exclaimed Aragorn! "What is a dwarf doing in a town of men?"

"Getting drunk, of course!"

* * *

Anna watched the dwarf in amazement as he drained tankard after tankard of ale, and never seemed to slow down. She roused herself from her amazement to listen to the dwarf's tale.

"…So with all the fighting going on for elves and men and land, we Dwarves decided to leave it all, and go back to our mountains and mines. No Maiden followed us, although I wouldn't have minded a stout Dwarf-woman or two to fight over who can wash my feet!" Gimli stopped to give Anna a wink at that remark. "The Lonely Mountain was the seat of my ancestor, and the town was hospitable enough, so I've stayed here all this time. Wouldn't mind seeing a bit of a fight though. Also wouldn't mind rescuing that elf, Legolas. He'd never hear the end of it!"

Anna couldn't help but smile at the Dwarf's enthusiasm. Gimli slammed down his current mug of ale. "So what is our plan then? How are we going to get the pointy-eared buggers out of that place? It's swarming with Maidens."

"This is where some cunning comes in, my friend," remarked Gandalf while Gimli chucked. "The men of Dale still trade with Mirkwood for wine and trinkets, and we shall simply smuggle ourselves into the center of the palace. I think there are still elves inside that will put up a fight for their freedom."

"Aye, and a good number of Dwarves as well. I'm not the only one who was drawn back to the Lonely Mountain and it's promises of dragon treasure."

Gimli simply smiled and pointed out the window. In the distance, on the Mountain, Anna could see the tiny flickering of fires and torches. They were finally indeed gathering an army. But would it be enough?


	15. Chapter 15

_There is lots of air, and I can breathe. I am in a wide, open meadow with flowers and bunnies and sunshine. I am not in a sealed barrel surrounded by blood-thirsty super-powered women who will kill me on-sight…._

_How did they get me to agree to this?_

_

* * *

_

Anna, Gandalf, Gimli, the hobbits, Aragorn, and a small contingency of men and dwarves had hatched out a plan to break into the heart of Mirkwood Castle. They would be taking a two-pronged approach- while Anna, Gimli, and Aragorn snuck into the castle in sealed wine barrels, the men and dwarves from Laketown would attack the castle from two fronts, hopefully causing enough distraction and confusion to enable the smaller party to complete their mission.

"But why aren't I going? I could use the Ring's power of invisibility to help rescue Legolas?" asked Frodo. "After all, didn't Bilbo do the same for the dwarves all those years ago?"

Gandalf smiled at the memory, but looked down at Frodo with a serious gaze. "Frodo, it is important you do not use the Ring. We cannot take any risk that Sauron know of its whereabouts, even though he has not been seen for some time."

Frodo had frowned at this, but had reluctantly agreed to stay behind. Anna was beginning to wish she had stayed behind as well.

* * *

_This barrel has holes in it- there's lots of air. I'm not going to suffocate…_

_

* * *

_

The plan had been put into motion surprisingly quickly- apparently the men and dwarves had been treated rather unfairly by the Maidens in the region and were just itching for a battle. Three special barrels were designed to hold the larger bodies and weapons.

"Too bad Smaug's not around. Then we could have ridden him into the castle and had him burn down all the Maidens" remarked Anna.

"Ride…Smaug? Really, where do you children get your ideas from?" snorted Gandalf. "I can only thank the Valar that he's slain and none of your silly brethren brought their own dragons with them. Dragons, indeed."

Anna kept the rest of her good ideas to herself.

* * *

The day of the attack had arrived. Anna thought the worst part was when they sealed her in the barrel, and she experienced the first wave of utter darkness. She reevaluated when the wagon they were on started to move, and she remembered she got motion sickness- _what if I throw up in here too? Ugh.-_ Then the wagon stopped, and she could hear muffled voices outside: the men from Laketown making the exchange with the Maidens. "_No, this is the worst part. What if they don't want any wine? What if this fails?"_

But she heard the creaking of a gate and the wagon resumed moving until she felt the barrel being lifted and resettled on the ground.

* * *

"_No…this is the worst part. Sitting in the middle of the enemy's castle, waiting to hear the signal while I have a panic attack. Keep breathing. Deep breath. Remember that you're also a Maiden."_

BANG.

The signal!


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

"But what's the signal?" asked Anna.

"It will be obvious, Anna. When you hear a large explosion, it means our armies have hit the walls of the castle. Wait until you hear the voices around you leave, then it is probably safe to leave the barrels. My best guess is you will be in the storeroom. You will have to quickly find Legolas and any other Elves willing to aid you and get out."

BANG.

_Gandalf wasn't kidding._

Anna heard some feminine yells around her and the sound of running feet. After wanting out of the barrel for so many hours, now she had trepidation about leaving her hiding spot. _On the count of three…one…two…_

She pushed the top open and gasped as the light hit her. It was disorienting for a minute as she had to take in her surroundings: lush and lavish drapery everywhere, and everything seemed to sparkle. This was the storage room?

Anna watched as Aragorn and Gimli both pushed their way out of their own barrel-prisons to join her, weapons in hand.

"Where do we go, Anna?" asked Gimli.

"I have no idea…this doesn't look like a storage room, unless they just decorate everything to excess around here? It looks like someone's room…"

Anna stopped as she noticed that, indeed, they were in a lavishly appointed bedroom- there was a horribly tacky golden-gilded four poster bed, a garish wall hanging showing fairys and unicorns frolicking in a field, an elf with rubies, emeralds, and sapphires braided into his hair…

"LEGOLAS!" cried Gimli. "What have they done to you, lad?"

"I see you've ruined three perfectly good wine barrels. Now how will I ever get drunk? You know it takes gallons of the stuff for me to feel anything." The elf could only pretend to remain impassive for about ten seconds before he rushed over to clasp his old friend's arm. "It is good to see you, Gimli. Aragorn."

Anna gaped. "You mean…all of this wine was for you?"

Legolas's smile turned to a frown. He glanced at Gimli, then Aragorn. "Who is this, then?"

Aragorn put up a hand: "Anna is an ally, Legolas. I will explain more later, but first, we need to escape. The Men of Laketown and the Dwarves of the Lonely Mountain are distracting the Maidens with an attack as we speak."

"We have been waiting so long for this…" Legolas said softly. "My people were not meant to dwell in stone, and we have hungered to see the woods again. The Elves are with you, Aragorn. We fight our way out!"

With that, Gimli swung his axe at the padlock holding the door to Legolas's cell and the four stepped out into the battleground.

* * *

"How goes the battle, Gandalf?" asked Pippen in a worried tone.

"We have losses. This was expected, but no easier to bear. Let us hope they are able to get out quickly."

"Can't we do anything?"

"I have an idea in mind."

* * *

Anna jogged along behind Legolas as he led the group to where his father and other Elves were being held. They had finally had a bit of luck when they met up with a group of Elvish "servants" who joined the cause and were able to point out where some bows were. Anna still felt dazed and unsure if she could handle another battle. She threw up when she killed Wynter- how would she cope with multiple targets?

Finally, they reached Thranduil's prison door. Gimli gave a grim smile as he banged the door in and muttered: "Can't imagine the King of the Woodland Realm would have ever thought a Dwarf would be rescuing him."

"Try not to taunt him, Gimli."

The party picked up followers quickly and the Elves gained strength from seeing their King in their midst. Many of them called for battle, but the King cautioned them and looked to Anna: "What say you, Maiden. Will my people be slaughtered by your kind, or do we have a chance in battle?"

Anna was ashamed to say that running was their best option.

* * *

Stalemate.

They had almost made it out. The Elves of Mirkwood had been diligent in the years of occupation in marking out every escape route possible. Unfortunately, so had the Maidens.

"If we can get into the forest…we have a chance" whispered Legolas. The group had come to the end of a passage that opened into a wide meadow before disappearing into the wilderness of Mirkwood. Unfortunately, there were about fifty Maidens waiting in that meadow, standing between the party, and freedom.

"It's too dangerous…who knows what skills they have- they could all be mages and kill us all with a spell" said Anna.

"We also can't wait here forever, waiting for recapture. Already, they must have discovered that Legolas is missing from his cell" replied Thranduil. "If keeping Legolas and the three of you alive saves this world, the rest of us will sacrifice ourselves to make that happen. We will rush them while you make for Mirkwood."

"No!" cried Anna. The thought of watching the Elves she had just spent time with and…Legolas's dad…die…

Suddenly there was a terrible scream that seemed to echo in the sky above them. One of the elves screamed "Dragon!" and pointed to the sky.

Sure enough, a huge dragon was flying overhead, blazing red with flame and screaming. The Maidens froze for a moment then panicked themselves. "Dragon! Dragon!" The cry seemed to fill the air.

Aragorn spoke up in a puzzled voice: "But I thought they were all dead?"

Anna crossed her arms and huffed. "They are. Gandalf stole my idea. This is our chance- we have to run now!"

It felt like slow motion, even though Anna was running as fast as she ever had in her life to get to the forest. She didn't stop to look, but she knew some Maidens had recovered enough from the shock of the "dragon" to see them, and had started shooting arrows and spells at them. Someone next to her fell, but she didn't have time to stop and see who it was.

Finally, after a lifetime, she burst through the treeline and kept going. She had no idea where they were heading for, but she caught a glimpse of long, blonde hair with gems in it. _Legolas is still alive anyway._ Finally he stopped and she collapsed next to him and found herself at the feet of Aragorn, Gimli, Thranduil and a host of other Elves who didn't seem nearly as winded.

"They are still coming" remarked Aragorn.

Thranduil muttered something that sounded strange and ancient and the trees started moving…no not the trees…something out of the trees…

_Oh God, the spiders are going to eat the Maidens._


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

"War? Maeve, there's hardly need for that, surely."

"Aragorn and Serena will be found soon enough- I don't see any need for me to leave the castle."

"There are plenty of handsome elves here, and besides, Aragorn was completely boring anyway."

Maeve gripped the balcony rail above the ballroom and dug her nails into the fine wood. They were _questioning _her? She surveyed the ballroom below and coldly assessed her soldiers: vain, lazy creatures who had grown far too comfortable with their lavish lifestyle. Peacocks.

_Don't lose control Maeve. Don't kill them all…yet._

She loosened her nails from the balcony and decided on a different tactic. "Then I have other news, Sisters. Sad news to be sure, but since you are unwilling to leave home, I'm sure you won't mind."

There, that got their attention. Maeve could feel the nervous energy and basked in it.

"The Mirkwood Faction was attacked two weeks ago. Legolas and several elves are missing. Their faction leader Dawnstar has asked for my help as she and several of her Maidens no longer have the comforts of their homes nor their elves. I have agreed to allow them to stay here, in Rivendell."

She could hear the anger buzzing from the floor below. "Why would you ever agree to _that, _Maeve? I hope you didn't tell her that they could share our elves? We have little to go around as it is!"

"I'm not sharing my dresses with any other girl- there are too many here as it is!"

"Why can't they stay in their own castle and find their own elves?" Maeve perked up at this question.

"Oh, sadly, their castle has been overrun with giant spiders from Mirkwood forest. Apparently they are quite horrible. The dwarves and men in the area are also making life difficult there."

"Tell them to go to the Shire Maidens then- they have resources that we do not" stated a tall brunette with butterfly wings.

"The Shire Maidens are all dead." _There. Time to play that card._

The buzz turned into a roar. The same brunette shouted to Maeve: "Dead? Why did you not tell us? What happened to them?"

"I only found out myself a few days ago" sighed Maeve. Maeve knew she was playing a dangerous card, but she could feel it was the right one. No one had heard from the Shire Maidens in months, so why not assume they were dead? It wasn't like any of these girls was going to go out and check her story.

"Slaughtered in their sleep, and their hobbits as well. Serena is much more dangerous than you think. Since we will not fight, we will accept our Mirkwood sisters into our home to share what is ours. Deidre, can you ready the visitation lists and be ready to reassign gowns?" Maeve smiled sweetly at the angry Maidens below her.

"War!"

"To War!"

The roar had turned into bloodthirsty wailing. Maeve was glowing.


	18. Chapter 18

The Moon Woman made a high keening sound at the smell of blood in the air. She stopped her long-legged run for a moment to savor the fine night air and filled her lungs with a long inhale. _There…I can smell it all…Men, beasts, and those Elves who have made me their prisoner. I will taste their blood again tonight._

* * *

"_I am seriously going to have a geek out moment any second. I'm watching Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Gandalf, and Thranduil having a meeting of the minds, and it includes ME." _Anna surveyed her surroundings: King Thranduil had led them to a forgotten Elven way station. It was small, but had the advantage of being up in the trees away from the creatures of the forest and from any search parties of Maidens that may have survived.

"But where do we lead our forces next? I have reports of groups of Dwarves, Men, and Elves resisting Maidens from Mirkwood and keeping them occupied. As we progress, and get Frodo nearer to Mordor, their task will become easier" said Thranduil.

"Aye, and our task becomes much harder. A runner from Dale reported seeing a swath of Maidens cut down South of here- stab wounds- hacked to pieces. Could be orcs, or something darker," remarked Gimli.

"Dark Riders…"murmured Aragorn.

At this point Gandalf stood up. "Our path will be West, to the River Anduin, and then South to Lothlorien. I have need of Galadriel and Lord Celeborn, and I believe that the Maidens have been keeping Boromir and Faramir captive there as well."

Anna gave Gandalf a strange look and spoke up: "Gandalf, aren't we supposed to go through the Mines of Moria? I mean to get to Lothlorien?"

"Fool child, that would take us backwards from where we want to go and I would not go that route…no…" Gandalf trailed off.

Anna was about to interrupt him again when a watchman yelled out: "Something down below! Climbing fast! Arrow at the ready!" Anna ran over to the side of the railing and looked over- all she could see was something white and sort of…twisted looking. It reminded her of something.

"Oh God, shoot her! It's the Moon Woman!" cried Anna.

Her cries came too late as the feral woman leapt onto the nearest elf and began tearing at his face with her nails and laughing. Legolas acted the quickest and was able to loose an arrow into her leg, stunning her for a second, while Gimli used the butt of his axe to knock her into submission. She fell off of the elf she had been attacking, but it was apparent he was dead. The body was dragged away.

"What is this creature?" asked Frodo.

"We call her the Moon Woman. She's a Maiden. Some Maidens come here…and they slowly become insane. She blamed Elves for keeping her here when she wanted to go home and then it grew worse and worse- during the war she would tear them apart, eat them…" said Anna.

"And you kept this creature alive all this time for what purpose?" demanded Thranduil.

"She's still a human being- she was being kept in jail! We didn't let her out to hurt people! Maeve must have let her loose!"

"It would have been kinder to kill her" retorted the King.

"No, we cannot see all creature's purposes in the end," remarked Gandalf. "Who knows what purpose she may serve? But she cannot be allowed to roam free. Bind her tightly, and sling her over one of the horses. Perhaps when she awakes she will have information for us."

Anna shivered in response.


	19. Chapter 19

The party began the long trek through Mirkwood towards the River Anduin. Anna, to her great displeasure was given the task of riding with the Moon Woman, who was still trussed up and tied to the back of her horse. Anna wanted her gagged, but Gandalf insisted that she try to communicate with the wild thing, and learn what she could.

Anna turned behind her and scowled. "Stop leering at Legolas! You can't eat him!" The Moon Woman simply turned her head slowly toward Anna with that strangle, unnerving smile and deliberately licked her lips at Anna. "UGH."

She decided to try a new tactic: "So, do you have a name? I know people just started calling you Moon Woman because of all the…bite marks all over you, but do you have a name that you'd like to be called instead? I know you talk about being trapped here. I feel trapped too, and that's why I'm going by my real name Anna now…so how about you?" Anna trailed off as the Moon Woman stared at her, her silver eyes just boring into her. She shook it off and was about to turn around as she heard the familiar cackling and creaking voice reply: "Elf Eater, Eldar Reaper; that is what you may call me!"

The Moon Woman then spit blood upon the ground, and Anna turned away in horror. _Yes, conversing with her will be easy, Gandalf. _

Anna grit her teeth as the Moon Woman began cackling to herself again.

The trek through the forest was taking far longer than Anna could have imagined. Although, she was in the company of some amazing legends. Legolas took some time to help her with her bow work, Aragorn with her herb identification, and Sam with her cooking. She was even getting used to riding all day, and was much less sore at night. The thought of Maidens was far away.

* * *

Maeve looked back at her warriors. Warriors now, and no longer girls pretending to be princesses. Dressed in armor and leather and not silks and bows they made a formidable looking force. They had been riding East for some time, following trails, and keeping away from Mirkwood Forest, where scouts had been reporting giant spiders eating any who would enter. Maeve was unsure where to lead her small army- she had not been in contact with the Lothlorien faction, and was unsure of their welcome there, however, there was no point in contacting the broken Mirkwood faction either. She decided she would go south on the River Anduin and make a council with Sidathe, Queen of the Lothlorien Faction. Gods, she hated politics.

* * *

Anna had been riding next to Aragorn chatting about his past adventures, and ignoring the Moon Woman's babbling, when she noticed something wrong. It was suddenly quiet. No birds, crickets, even the Moon Woman had stopped talking.

Legolas notched his bow and whispered: "We're being watched."

The Moon Woman broke the silence with a loud laugh: "Orcs! Orcs are here!"


	20. Chapter 20

"Orcs, orcs are here."

Frodo pulled out Sting to confirm the madwoman's proclamation and the blade gave off its telltale blue shine.

"Everyone, gather round the Ringbearer, form a circle and keep a watch out into the woods!" cried Aragorn.

Anna nervously took out her bow and notched an arrow. She had never seen an orc before, and although they had been through a few battles now, she didn't know how she would hold up seeing a real monster close up.

Legolas was the first to spot one coming through the foliage and let loose an arrow. Anna heard it whistle through the air and make a sickening_ thunk_ into the orc's skull. She wanted to turn and look, but the full onslaught was now upon them.

The clanging of metal against metal began in earnest. Aragorn and Gimli stood back to back dispatching the foul creatures with ease, while Legolas was able to pick off charging orcs from a distance. Anna began to shake as she saw an orc charge forward towards a break in the circle, towards the hobbits. She loosed her arrow and hit it in the shoulder. It continued its run, so she tried again, this time hitting it in the arm. The orc snarled and turned its attention at last towards Anna.

The creature stalked over with blade in hand to the shaking girl. Anna desperately tried to grab another arrow and dropped it on the ground. _Come on, come on, hurry!_ The beast was nearly on her and suddenly lurched forward and threw itself on top of her. Anna passed out and knew no more.

* * *

Anna opened her eyes and saw a beautiful vision of a golden haired woman hovering over her.

"Mom?"

"D'hear that, Elf? The girl thinks you're her mother!"

As her vision cleared, Anna realized it was Legolas who was holding her head in his lap and holding something against the back of her head. She tried to get up, but her head hurt badly.

"What's…going on?"

Legolas smiled at her. "You did well, Anna. I shot the orc who charged at you and he collapsed on top of you. It seems you hit your head as you both went down. Although it seems you kept our hobbits safe with your own bow."

"Am I going to be all right?"

"These herbs will help. Anna…if you will not take offence…I would like to offer you some lessons in archery as we travel onwards. You did well, but your form needs a lot of work, and I'd rather you stayed alive."

Anna blushed.

* * *

Maeve listened to her general's report and kept a calm face.

"Four Maidens were found trying to escape back to Rivendell and were executed, as an example to the others, as you commanded, my lady. Archers and swordswomen are drilling as we speak. Healers are gathering herbs and making bandages. Magic users are ensuring they still have aim and endurance. However…

"There's always a however. What?"

"However, we seem a bit weaker than normal, my lady. Spells are misfiring. Archers are missing their mark. The Maidens are afraid."

Maeve calmly walked out of her tent and faced her army of Maidens. "Afraid are you? You are Middle Earth's most deadly and terrifying adversary! Years of easy living and stuffing yourselves full of desserts have made you all soft. I've taken care of all of you while you dressed as princesses and danced the nights away. We have lost nothing. Look to me!"

With that Maeve flicked her hand and a large ball of fire appeared. "If I am still capable of conjuring this, you can all still be an army worthy of me. Keep practicing, or you'll end up like them!"

Maeve put out the flames and gestured to the four beautiful heads on pikes that decorated the outside of her hut.

Inside, she walked over to a glass ball resting on a velvet pillow. She gently touched the ball and an older man with white hair appeared.

"Well, Saruman. Tell me how you and your orcs can help me and my army."


End file.
